Major Accomplishments
| National Champion |
1956, 1958, 1959, 1961 |
Frank Neely (owner) - Jack
Salmon (driver) |
| National Champion |
1966 |
Wayne Thompson |
| Speed Record - 5 Miles in Competition |
May 21, 1967 - San Diego, CA |
Wayne Thompson - 80.717 mph |
| Speed Record - Straightaway Kilo |
November 26, 1966 - Parker, AZ |
Wayne Thompson - 111.962 mph |
The Pop Cooper Memorial Trophy was retired
by Wayne Thompson for winning it three times in a row with the "Baby."
The first time I saw Cumon Baby was
at Lake Washington during the 1966 Inboard Nationals with Wayne Thompson.
Cumon Baby was love at first sight...
.....and also the winner and 1966 National
Champion. |
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I purchased Cumon Baby from Wayne
Thompson a year after his accident (1969) in the Going Thing. We
had negotiated the purchase a year earlier when I had heard he had a new
Ron Jones Sr. hull being completed, co-owned by Bud Fox, John Wolf and
Wayne Thompson. John Wolf built the engine for the "Baby" as he did the
Going
Thing. |
| I originally began racing in the 150 cu.
in. class in 1965 with a V-8/60 powered Hickling hull. I saw the
"Baby" in 1966 and again in 1969 at Green Lake, Washington and told my
wife Linda that someday I was going to own that boat......she said, "Yeah
sure!" I took a chance on writing Wayne about purchasing his "Baby" and
was surprised as to his reply that he had never considered selling it but
would for X$$$. |
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I almost changed my mind after going to
Harrison Hot Springs B.C. Canada to watch a race because I couldn't come
up with the cash. However, Wayne allowed me to make payments and we worked
out the details.....I'm glad he did as it really changed my life. The Cumon
Baby is the most fantastic hydro ever made in my opinion and accelerates
very fast. |
| This Cumon Baby 15-A team captured
4 National Championships in 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961.
Driver - Jack Salmon (left)
Owner/Designer/Builder - R. Frank Neely
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| The hydro has an awesome ride as it literally
flies across the water as the pictures attest. I was never afraid of it's
sponson walking or torquing off the corners or high altitude on the water
as it would always settle down. I had a conversation with an engineer from
Boeing in 1971, who was was very knowledgeable about wind tunnel &
hydroplane design. He commented on the unusual design of each of the sponsons
and how the deck rolling down eliminates the vacuum directly behind each
of the sponsons. |
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Wayne Thompson
Green Lake 1968
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Me & the "Baby" with a custom made life
jacket. |
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Frank Neely built &
designed this one of a kind hull and raced it with a modified V-8/60, winning
4 National Championships.
The next owner, Wayne Thompson installed
the Falcon in 1963 winning one more National Championships and setting
the kilo & competition records.
The craftsmanship is perfection! |
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At the Marine Stadium in California Wayne
stepped up & ran with the 225 and 266 classes & won many times
against the higher cubic inch displacement hydros. |
Wayne Thompson
Green Lake 1968
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"Riding the Rollers"
Wayne Thompson driving. Parker, Arizona.
Note how rough the water was.
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Definitely, not just another
day.
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"Flying in Rough Water"
Parker, Arizona - late 1960's
Attempting a kilo run.
Thanks to Bob Foley for these 3 photos.
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I went over the 100 mph mark in the Cumon
Baby in 1971 at Devils Lake, OR. That was fun but the weather was horrible.
It hailed & blew & rained and was just miserable. Even the water
was flat with rollers when it cleared up enough to run on Saturday. The
clouds came down on the lake and you couldn't see from one bouy to the
next. I didn't think I even went over a 100 mph but managed to squeak out
an average of 104.532 mph. The 1st pass was 103 + and the return was 105
+. I was disappointed because I know I've went faster racing but glad to
break 100 mph as not many had in the 150 class at that time and could prove
it. |
Cumon Baby I
| The hydro on this webpage was the second
Cumon
Baby hull built. The first
Cumon Baby hull was built 4 years
earlier in 1951 by Frank Neely and was the second A-class hydro to break
the 100 mph mark
setting the Mile Straightaway Speed Record of 101.254 mph on Oct. 19, 1953
by Duane Allen at Salton Sea, California. To read more history on
that accomplishment, photos of Cumon Baby I, click
here to visit the page on this boat.
Frank Neely built the Cumon Baby II,
incorporating many of the better features of the original. Before he built
the second Baby, he made a model to visualize some of the new ideas
he was contemplating. Click here
to see that 50+ year old model that was recently restored by his son, Will. |
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This photo is showing
the Ford Falcon 144 cu. in. engine & the (3) 42 mm Dellorto carburetors.
Notice the exhaust exiting through the side of the hull and the sloping
down of the sponson deck extending past the end to the bottom of the boat.
With this unique configuration, I had to get my left pants leg wet so as
not to get hot from the exhaust heat before entering the hull & during
racing.
I love the "Baby" and will present it someday
in the near future at one of the antique regattas. I have some minor repairs
to do (in my own time frame) before bringing her out.
©2002-2006 Randy
Wold |
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